Jamaica to host 2023 Caribbean Junior Karting series

The Jamaica Karting Association (JKA) will host the third Caribbean Junior Karting Academy Trophy (CJKAT) at the Palisadoes International Raceway in two weeks’ time (July 21 to 23). Funded by the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile’s (FIA) Sport Grant Programme and administered by the Barbados Motoring Federation (BMF), the competition is open to kart racers aged between 11 and 17 years.

  The 1.2-kilometre purpose-built circuit, on which the JKA runs eight championship events each year, sits on an oblong stretch of land jutting out into Kingston Harbour in the south-east of the island just across from Jamaica’s main port and alongside the Norman Manley International Airport.

  After the inaugural event was run at Bushy Park Barbados in 2019, staging of the annual competition was interrupted by the pandemic, the second CJKAT not run until November last year, again at Bushy Park. BMF President Senator Andrew Mallailieu said: “It was always our intention for the competition to rotate around our fellow ASNs and venues throughout the region and I am delighted that the JKA has taken up the baton to host this year’s event.”

  CJKAT is modelled on the CIK-FIA Karting Academy Trophy, which has been the first rung on the ladder of the FIA’s single-seater path to F1 since 2010, previous winners including current Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, who won in 2011 at age 12. To allow more opportunities for Caribbean hopefuls to compete, the regional series caters for a wider age range than in Europe, where the limits are 12 to 14 years old.

  The CJKAT rules place the emphasis on driver talent, creating a level playing field for young hopefuls from across the region, who will race identical Vortex-engined Exprit OK-Junior karts, running on control fuel and mandated allocations of tyres. The 20 karts, which are based at Bushy Park, have been checked over and packed into a container ready to leave the Bridgetown Port for Jamaica on Friday (July 7).

  In 2019, Adam Mallalieu beat fellow Barbadian Calem Maloney to the title, winning 19 of the 24 races between them, with Jamaicans Ryan Chisholm and Tommi Gore separated by just six points for third place, Gore losing out despite four race wins. Barbadian Kayleigh Catwell became the fourth race-winner with a heat victory in the final round.

  Maloney prevailed last year, defeating Trinidad & Tobago’s Rylie Ramroop by a margin of nine points, with Jamaica’s Zander Williams a further six behind. The lone female in the 16-strong field, T&T’s Naomi Jade Garcia was the top scorer aged 14 and under, finishing fifth overall and beating Blake Thompson of Barbados by a single point.

Editor’s note: the Barbados Motoring Federation (BMF), which is affiliated to the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) is the island’s governing body for motor sport; it also represents the interests of its Member Clubs in discussions with Government departments which facilitate the sport in the island, in particular the Ministry of Transport, Works & Water Resources, which permits road closures for an agreed number of events each year. Away from motor sport, the BMF affiliate which answers the FIA Mobility remit is the Barbados Automobile Association (BAA).

For media information only. No regulatory value.

For further information

Web site: www.cjkat.com

E-mail: ClubCorrespondent@bmf-fia.com